The guys get there ahead of me and are waiting by their bikes when I pull into the parking lot. The Brother’s Circle does their business out of a top-floor suite in one of Reno’s high-end casinos. They think it makes them look important. I think it makes them look like pussies.
I grab my cut from the back seat and put it on, then lock the doors and catch up with Henri and Brielle, who have skipped ahead and are having an animated conversation with Hash.
“Over here,” I say gruffly to them. The last thing I want is for Hash to rub off on Henri. She doesn’t need a role model like that asshole.
“Let’s get this the fuck over with,” Hangman says by way of greeting.
As we enter the casino, Henri peers around with raised eyebrows. “This is the lobby?”
Fuck. We didn’t think this through. “Hangman, we can’t leave the girls here unattended.”
“Why not?” Hangman says. “Who’s gonna mess with Hell’s Jury family?”
Henri looks at me with a slight eyeball roll.
I silently tell her to keep her mouth shut with a warning glare.
Brielle speaks up. “What if they don’t know I’m your kid?”
Hangman’s eyes shift from her to Joker. “We gotta get the kids cuts.”
Joker tilts his head. “Seriously?”
“Of course I’m not fu…” He glances at Brielle. “Serious.”
“We’ll take them upstairs,” King suggests. “There’s a lobby outside the suite they can sit in.”
“Works,” I grunt.
“Let’s go,” Hangman says as he charges toward the elevator.
The two couples waiting for it step back as we approach. We’re a scary looking group of motherfuckers, which is intimidating to most people, but when Hangman opens his mouth, you can almost smell the fear.
“How the fuck’s your day going?” he says.
There’s a slight pause, and then one of the men hesitantly says, “Good.”
When the door opens, Hangman waves his hand towards the group and says, “After you.”
“Uh,” says the spokesperson. “No, you go ahead. We’ll take the next car.” He’s holding his breath as he waits for Hangman to respond.
“Thank you,” Hangman says politely then gives him a grin that would make Satan pee his pants.
In the elevator, Henri stands rigidly next to me and whispers, “Mom and I hate elevators.”
“Oscar and I hate stairs,” I reply softly.
When the elevator arrives at the penthouse suite, Henri elbows through the brothers and steps out first. “Are we gonna do this, or what?” she says to me as she looks around the lobby.
“There’s no ‘we’ kid. You and Brielle are staying here like we agreed.”
“Yeah. I know. Then ice cream after.”
Hangman glares at me. “I’m not eating ice cream.”
“You weren’t inv?—”
“Jesus Christ, Henri,” I snap. “Would you shut the fuck up.”
